Tag dispensing and attaching apparatus

Abstract

First and second separately actuatable triggers are mounted to a housing which carries a hollow needle through which a fastener is dispensed. The needle is mounted to the housing for movement between original and extended positions. The article to be tagged is situated adjacent the front of the housing. When the first trigger is depressed, a tag is moved from a stack on the housing into alignment with the needle as the needle is moved forward to pierce the tag and article. Also, a fastener is fed into the needle. When the second trigger is depressed, the fastener is moved through the needle such that the T-bar end is situated behind the article and the needle retracts to its original position. The apparatus is pulled away from the article, leaving the tag affixed by the fastener. The apparatus is lightweight, easily manipulatable, and can be operated by a single hand.

I claim: 
     
       1. Tag attaching apparatus, comprising: a housing including a manually engageable handle and means for mounting a stack of tags, actuating means disposed at the handle and mounted on the housing for movement relative to the housing, a hollow needle through which a fastener is dispensed, means for mounting the needle to the housing for movement between an original position and an extended position, means for moving a fastener through said needle including means for moving the needle mounting means from the original position to the extended position in response to actuation of the actuating means, means for causing said fastener moving means to move the fastener through the needle in response to further actuation of the actuating means, wherein the means for moving a fastener through the needle includes a plunger movable between retracted and extended positions, means for feeding a fastener to the needle, and means for preventing operation of the fastener feeding means until the plunger has substantially completely returned to its retracted position. 
     
     
       2. Tag attaching apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the preventing means includes a latch. 
     
     
       3. Tag attaching apparatus comprising a housing including a manually engageable handle and means for mounting a stack of tags, tag dispensing means and means for mounting a fastener to a tag, said tag dispensing means comprising actuating means disposed at the handle and means for operably connecting said actuating means and said tag dispensing means, said fastener mounting means including a needle, said tag dispensing means being responsive to actuation of said actuating means to move a fastener through the needle, said connecting means being effective, in response to the actuation of said actuating means, to cause said tag dispensing means to move a tag into alignment with said fastener mounting means, said tag dispensing means comprising a slide and a lever to which said slide is connected, said lever being movable between a first position, wherein said slide engages a tag and a second position, wherein said engaged tag is aligned with said fastener mounting means, said lever comprising a cam track and connecting means comprising a pin adapted to move within said track. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said cam track comprises a continuous path between first and second points, said path comprising a first section extending in a substantially straight line between said points and a second section extending between said points and comprising first and second parts, said first and second parts intersecting at an angle. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said angle is less than 180°. 
     
     
       6. A hand-held tag attacher for attaching tags to merchandise using fasteners, each fastener having a bar section and a button section joined by a filament section, the attacher being solely manually powered and comprising: an attacher body having a hopper adapted to receive a stack of tags and a manually engageable handle, a needle mounted to the body and having an elongate needle bore and an elongate side opening communicating with the needle bore, means for feeding an endmost tag from the hopper to an attaching position in alignment with the needle, means for advancing one bar section of a fastener at a time into alignment with the needle bore, a push rod engageable with a bar section of a fastener for driving the bar section through the needle bore while its filament section extends through the side opening, means for moving the bar section advancing means, the push rod and the tag feeding means through a cycle, wherein the moving means includes a slide movably mounted on the body, manually operable actuating means disposed at the handle, means for coupling the actuating means to the slide to effect reciprocating movement of the slide upon actuation and release of the actuating means, means for coupling the slide to the push rod, means responsive to the movement of the slide for operating the bar section advancing means, means for coupling the slide to the tag feeding means, and wherein the actuating means includes a first manually operable actuator for moving the push rod to a position in which the bar section of a fastener is moved to a  position within the needle bore and a second manually operable actuator for moving the push rod from its position in the needle bore to a position out of the needle bore. 
     
     
       7. A hand-held tag attacher as defined in claim 6, wherein the means for coupling the slide to the tag feeding means includes a lever driven by the slide. 
     
     
       8. A hand-held tag attacher as defined in claim 6, wherein the means for coupling the slide to the tag feeding means includes a cam driven by the slide and a cam follower driven by the cam and coupled to the tag feeding means. 
     
     
       9. A hand-held tag attacher as defined in claim 8, wherein the follower includes a lever. 
     
     
       10. A hand-held tag attacher as defined in claim 6, wherein the means for coupling the slide to the tag feeding means includes a cam coupled to the slide and a lever moved by the cam, and wherein the tag feeding means includes a pin engageable with an endmost tag in the stack. 
     
     
       11. A hand-held tag attacher for attaching tags to merchandise using fasteners, each fastener having a bar section and a button section joined by a filament section, the attacher being solely manually powered and comprising: an attacher body having a hopper adapted to receive a stack of tags and having a manually engageable handle, a needle mounted to the body and having an elongate needle bore and an elongate side opening communicating with the needle bore, means for advancing one bar section at a time into alignment with the needle bore, a push rod engageable with a bar section of a fastener for driving the bar section through the needle bore while its filament section extends through the side opening, a tag feeder engageable with an endmost tag in the hopper for feeding the endmost tag from its position in the stack along a path to an attaching position in alignment with the needle, means for moving the bar section advancing means, the push rod and the tag feeder through a cycle, wherein the moving means includes manually operable actuating means disposed at the handle, means responsive to actuation of the actuating means for moving the bar section axially partly through the needle bore, and means responsive to the further actuation of the actuating means for moving the bar section the remainder of the way out of the needle bore, wherein the moving means further includes a cam and a lever driven by the cam, wherein the tag feeder includes a slide, a pin mounted for reciprocating movement on the slide, and means for coupling the lever to the slide. 
     
     
       12. A hand-held tag attacher for attaching tags to merchandise using fasteners, each fastener having a bar section and a button section joined by a filament section, the attacher being solely manually powered and comprising: an attacher body having a hopper adapted to receive a stack of tags and having a manually engageable handle, a needle mounted to the body and having an elongate needle bore and an elongate side opening communicating with the needle bore, means for advancing one bar section at a time into alignment with the needle bore, a push rod engageable with a bar section of a fastener for driving the bar section through the needle bore while its filament section extends through the side opening, a tag feeder engageable with an endmost tag in the hopper for feeding the endmost tag from its position in the stack along a path to an attaching position in alignment with the needle, means for moving the bar section advancing means, the push rod and the tag feeder through a cycle, wherein the moving means includes manually operable actuating means disposed at the handle, wherein the moving means further includes a first slide, a second slide mounted for relative movement on the first slide, the push rod being connected to the second slide, wherein the push rod is movable between retracted and extended positions through an intervening partially extended position, wherein the first slide moves the second slide to move the push rod to its partially extended position in which the bar section is in the needle bore in response to movement of the actuator from its initial position to its actuated position, and manually operable means for moving the push rod from its partially extended position to its extended position. 
     
     
       13. A hand-held tag attacher as defined in claim 12, wherein the actuator comprises a first lever and the manually operable means comprises a second lever. 
     
     
       14. A hand-held tag attacher as defined in claim 12, wherein the attacher includes a cam operable by the first slide for moving the tag feeder. 
     
     
       15. A hand-held tag attacher as defined in claim 12, wherein the attacher includes a cam connected to the slide, and a follower movable in response to movement of the cam for moving the tag feeder. 
     
     
       16. A hand-held tag attacher for attaching tags to merchandise using fasteners, each fastener having a bar section and a button section joined by a filament section, the attacher being solely manually powered and comprising: an attacher body having a hopper adapted to receive a stack of tags and a manually engageable handle, a needle mounted to the body and having an elongate needle bore and an elongate side opening communicating with the needle bore, manually operable actuating means disposed at the handle and being operable by the operator's fingers while the handle is held in the hand, a tag feeder engageable with an endmost tag in the stack and movable between a retracted position and an advanced position in which a tag has been moved to an attaching position, means responsive to movement of the actuating means for moving the tag feeder from the retracted position to the advanced position and for moving the tag feeder from the advanced position to the retracted position, means responsive to movement of the actuating means for advancing one bar section of a fastener at a time into alignment with the needle bore, a push rod responsive to movement of the actuating means and engageable with a bar section of a fastener for driving the bar section through the needle bore while its filament section extends through the side opening, wherein the actuating means includes means for moving the push rod to push the bar section partly through the needle bore and means responsive to further actuation of the actuating means when the needle has pierced the tag and the merchandise for moving the push rod to push the bar section the remainder of the way out of the needle bore.